Strongest Mage with the Lust system

"I'm sorry, my Lord." Esme apologized, "I thought the room's isolation formation was activated, so the slight fluctuation from her Earth Resonance wouldn't be detected by anyone outside. If I had been a little more careful, Mina might not have been taken away."

Max shook his head. "No need to blame yourself. You didn't know she was going to show her law resonance to us. Also, we would have failed miserably even if we had tried to hide or escape after she used the resonance."

Esme knew this, but she still felt guilty. She was the older one among them and more knowledgeable, after all. She should have taken some preventive measures, but instead, she started explaining about the resonance without a care in the world.

"So, what did you mean when you said you were wrong?" Max changed the topic, knowing she meant something else from her earlier words.

Esme let out a weary and self-deprecating sigh before she spoke, "I had thought I might be able to rescue my family members if I had the thunder sword, but I gravely underestimated the might of a Monarch realm expert. Although those from the Thunder family might not be as strong as her, they still wouldn't be something I could handle."

Max didn't know what to say. She should have already come to this realization way before this encounter; her decision to become his woman was the proof.

She, however, still held a flicker of hope. He didn't know whether it was a good or a bad thing that it was no longer there.

Right then, he felt his communication crystal vibrate.

He checked it, and immediately, his expression turned ugly.

"What is it, my Lord?" Esme asked,

"I'll tell you later. Stay here and don't tell anyone that Mina was forcefully taken away; it will only worry them. Say that she found a master and went to train under her."

Leaving these directions, Max left the room.

The message he just received was from Ryan, who told him Amara and Ashroth had been captured and that he needed to hurry over to the newly built palace for the emperors to stay in near the city library.

He knew Ashroth wouldn't be allowed into the city; that was why he had messaged him to stay outside and not make any suspicious movements before he came to meet Esme last night.

He believed after seeing he came with him, they wouldn't bother with him as long as he stayed put, but now, not only was he captured, Amara was too.

Since [Mask of Terra] could hide her identity from everyone beneath Tier-9—Supremes, he knew she must have exposed herself when Ashtroth was captured.

'Troubles keep piling up.' He resisted the urge to rub his forehead as he rushed out of the city lord's mansion.

Just a minute later, he arrived at the newly built, expansive structure. At the entrance, he saw Aria, Rima's master, waiting for him.

She gave him a look that he couldn't quite understand, nor did he try to.

"What's happening?" He asked,

"Something big has happened. The demons have used some kind of sacrificial ritual that killed almost all the living beings across the various kingdoms and three empires."

Max didn't react much as he had already expected this.

"Because of this, unlike before, they have become everyone's enemy. So, when the emperors sensed that demon outside, they wanted to kill him. It was then that girl revealed herself as a demon.

Fortunately for them, Ryan, Elena, and Father stepped in and delayed their execution."

Max nodded, "I understand. Now, tell me, what can I do to save them?"

Aria looked at him. "I'm not sure, but since the emperors allowed Ryan to summon you, there might be a way."

Max raised his brows upon hearing this.

'So, they want something from me?'

…

A short while later, Aria led him into a large hall where over a dozen elves with powerful auras were sitting around a rectangular table.

To their side, Ryan, Elena, and old man Raku were standing and were looking at Ashroth and Amara, standing at the center of the hall.

When they entered, everyone's attention shifted to Max.

The elven emperors watched him intently, their thoughts unknown; Ryan, Elena, and Old Man Raku looked at him with a hint of reproach in their eyes, while Ashroth and Amara heaved a sigh of relief.

They seemed to want to say something but were unable to. Max quickly realized that while they were not tied up, one of the emperors' auras was enveloping them, completely restricting them.

He nodded at them with a reassuring look before facing the emperors.

"Greetings, esteemed emperors!" He greeted them with a light but respectful bow.

The emperors nodded before one of them, a man, glanced toward Ashroth and Amara and asked, "They are your… friends, I heard?"

"No, senior. They are not my friends." Max shook his head, which made everyone frown, while Amara's eyes went wide in disbelief.

Beside her, Ashroth's eyes flashed with admiration, 'What a guy!'

"...They are my family. That beautiful lady is my woman, and the one beside her is my brother-in-law." Max added.

He knew doing this would make things difficult for him, but that didn't faze him because as things were, they were plenty difficult already.

Amara's expression of disbelief gave way to a beautiful smile while the elves narrowed their eyes.

"You are bold." The male elf emperor said after a moment.

"Are you aware of what the demons did yesterday?" He asked,

"Yes," Max nodded.

"Good. Before, my elven race and demons weren't on good terms, but we tried to stay out of each other's way as much as we could. This was why the demons never targeted us, and we didn't join the humans when you fought wars against them.

Now, however, we have become mortal enemies. We are to kill every demon spawn as soon as we see them. These two aren't an exception." The elf spoke.

"I understand your point, senior." Max nodded, "But I want you all to spare them, and I know you can do that because they are innocent as they haven't harmed a single elf yet."

There was silence in the hall for a few moments before the elven man nodded, "You are right, they can be spared since my own people…" He said while glancing at Ryan, Elena, and old man Raku, "...And you, a benefactor of my race, are pleading for their lives. However…"

He paused after speaking until here, which made Max sigh and say, "Senior, let's not talk in riddles. I know you want something from me. So, just tell me what it is, and we can discuss things from there."

Aria, Ryan, Elena, and old man Raku broke out in cold sweat when they heard him.

'What are you doing, kid? They are freaking emperors. Speak with some respect. If they got angry, no matter how much we plead, we wouldn't be able to save you.' Ryan scolded him in his mind.

He very much wanted to send him a mental transmission but knew the emperors would immediately sense it, so he had no choice but to grumble inwardly and signal him with his eyes. Unfortunately, Max wasn't looking at him.